In observance of Mother’s Day (May 13) and National Women’s Health Week
(May 13-19), the NDEP is reminding
women with a history of gestational diabetes (GDM) about their lifelong risk for developing diabetes, usually type 2.
Women with a history of GDM have a 35 to 60 percent chance of developing diabetes in the next 10 to 20 years, and should
get tested for diabetes 6 to 12 weeks after their baby is born. If the test results show that blood sugar (or blood glucose)
is higher than normal, but not high enough to be diabetes (also called prediabetes), they should get tested every year.
Otherwise, they should plan to get tested every 3 years. It’s also important to remember that the children of women
who had GDM may be at increased risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes in the future. Visit
www.YourDiabetesInfo.org/GDM for more information about steps to take to
prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes Alert Day 2011 is March 22 and the NDEP needs your help to spread the word on Facebook!

First, RSVP to NDEP’s Diabetes Alert Day 2011 Event on Facebook. Then, help NDEP raise awareness of family health history and diabetes by inviting your family and friends to RSVP. Finally, make sure to take the Diabetes Risk Test on March 22, 2011, to see if you may be at risk for developing diabetes.

Family health history is an important risk factor for developing a number of serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes. In fact, most people with type 2 diabetes have a family member – such as a mother, father, brother, or sister – with the disease.

Knowing your family health history is important because it gives you and your health care team information about your risk for type 2 diabetes and other health problems.

The NDEP encourages all families to discuss family health history at upcoming holiday get-togethers.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. This year, the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) is focusing on family health history as an important risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

If you are at risk for diabetes, there are things you can do to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Click on the following links to learn more.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. This year NDEP will emphasize that having a family history of diabetes is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Help promote National Diabetes Awareness Month in your part of the country with NDEP's free promotional toolkit and diabetes awareness materials.